


Summers

by justbygrace



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-22 01:26:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9575759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justbygrace/pseuds/justbygrace
Summary: Growing up together AU





	

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, this is taking it back. I think I originally wrote this in 2012.

The summer that Rose Tyler turned six, a brand new family moved in across the street. She spent the morning watching them move in, sitting on her front porch steps and clutching her doll. She was pleased to see they had a little girl with fiery red hair who seemed to be about her age, but she was less pleased they also had a scrawny boy with brown hair. It didn't take long for the new girl to come bounding over and introduce herself as Donna Noble and demand to know whether she wanted to be best friends. The two quickly became inseparable, sharing secrets, avoiding Donna's brother John, and conquering the Noble's scary backyard. One afternoon shortly before school was to start, the two girls were lying side-by-side, heels kicked in the air, talking about their worries about the dreaded first grade, when John appeared in front of them, hands on his hips, and dirt on his nose. He claimed to know all about school, from the dragons in the basement to the witch who taught first grade. Rose's lip trembled with fear, but Donna threw her arm around her shoulder and said, "My brother's an idiot, don't listen to him." Then she grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her into the house where they barricaded themselves in Donna's room and dressed in her mum's discarded high-heels and pretended they were great ladies.

The summer that Rose Tyler turned ten, a traveling carnival came to her town. She and Donna along with John and his best friend Jack, spent every possible moment there, riding the rides till they were dizzy, stuffing themselves with as many treats as they could, and spending all of their spare change playing the games. On the closing night, the four of them decided to watch the fireworks from the top of the Ferris Wheel, and somehow Rose found herself buckling into the cart next to John. Her fear of him had faded and she was usually hot on his heels when he suggested a new adventure. The two chatted excitedly about what they had seen as the wheel propelled them upwards. At the top, the cart paused and Rose cheered at the bursts of color in the distance. She turned to John to share her excitement and was shocked when he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. Rose gaped at him and he looked away, tugging on his ear, but there was a smile lurking in his eyes. When they reached the ground again and exited the cart, Rose impulsively reached over and grabbed John's hand, giving it a quick squeeze before dropping it and racing away to find Jack and Donna. As soon as she spotted Donna, she dragged her away from the boys, telling her in a quiet whisper what had happened. Donna looked shocked and then laughed, throwing her arm around Rose's shoulder and exclaiming, "My brother's crazy, but I think most boys are, don't you?" Then she grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her towards the house where they barricaded themselves in Donna's room and watched Disney movies and dreamed about growing up.

The summer that Rose Tyler turned sixteen, the Nobles had a foreign exchange student from France come to stay with them. Her name was Reinette and Rose hated her. John, on the other hand, seemed greatly interested in everything that there was to know about her. Rose tried to convince herself she didn't care, but it had seemed like John was starting to take notice of her. Sometimes he'd convince her to sneak out and meet him, to go out for chips, or to go explore the woods behind their small town, lying on their backs and staring at the stars and talking about someday traveling the world. He hadn't tried to kiss her again, but she had been okay with that, really she had. Except that last night she had caught sight of John and Reinette snogging, full-on snogging, and now Rose was hiding in the Noble's old tree house, crying a few bitter tears. It didn't take long for Donna to come in search of her, throwing her arm around Rose's shoulder and proclaiming, "My brother's a right bloody wanker and when I find him I'm going to kick him into next year." Then she grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her into the house where they barricaded themselves in Donna's room and ate ice cream and swore off boys for good.

The summer that Rose Tyler turned twenty, she took a break from her studies to see as much of the world as she could. The past winter had been a tough one, watching John treat her like a little sister while he danced and cavorted and flirted his way through life. She knew she just needed to get over him and this trip was her opportunity to do so. Every spare cent she had she used to send letters back to Donna, chronicling her adventures that ranged from getting lost in Prague to breaking up a fight in Krakow to spending a week helping out at an orphanage in Bulgaria. Slowly she felt the shadows falling away, her personal strength and courage expanding and sharpening. As the summer came to an end and she finally boarded a flight back home, she felt that the weight was gone from her shoulders and that she could stand firmly on her own two feet. When she exited the airport, head craning to find Donna's fiery hair, she was shocked to see John leaning against a pillar, hair in wild disarray and suit rumpled. He lit up when he saw her, meeting her with a huge hug, and she couldn't help her answering laugh. As he dropped her off at the flat she shared with Donna, he blurted out that he'd missed her. She gave him an incredulous look and his ears turned red and he drove away hastily. Rose met Donna at the door, telling her about her brother's odd behavior. Donna laughed, throwing her arm around Rose's shoulder and declaring, "I think Spaceman's finally stopped being stupid." Then she grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her inside where they barricaded themselves in the flat and shared their pictures and videos from their summer adventures.

The summer that Rose Tyler turned twenty-six, she was halfway through a world tour with John. It hadn't been an easy few years. She'd held him at arm's length for months, making him prove that he was serious before hesitantly agreeing to a date that turned into a second first kiss that turned into getting a flat together. However, John was working towards his doctorate, studying late into the night, and Rose was teaching during the day and their relationship was starting to flounder. It was Donna who had suggested they take a few months off and "get the hell out of London." So far it had been a fantastic trip and exactly what they'd both needed. They'd made friends with everyone they came across, hitching rides from kind strangers and lending a hand where they could. While helping a young couple give birth on the side of the road, they discovered a deeper reliance on each other; while participating in a grape festival, they revived their zest for life; while huddling together for warmth in the midst of a freak snowstorm, they rekindled their passion. It was after one such adventure, sitting on the edge of a bridge, feet dangling in the rushing water, that John asked her to marry him. She stared at him in shock, the power of speech robbed from her. He swished his feet and pulled on his ear, mumbling about missed opportunities and love of his life and only if she wanted. When she recovered her voice, she found she didn't need it anymore, throwing her arms around him with enough force to knock them into the stream. They were married in an impromptu ceremony after helping to save a tiny town from a wildfire. When they finally made it back to London, six months after they'd planned, the first thing Rose did was go visit Donna, bursting with the story of the proposal and wedding. Donna threw her arms around her, hugging her tight, and laughing, "I don't know what that skinny strip of nothing did to deserve you." Then she grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her into the house where they barricaded themselves inside and reminisced over years gone by and toasted the years to come.


End file.
